Happenstance Coffee
by Amen
Summary: Six years after Hogwarts and six years since either Harry or Draco has used magic, but no one knows why . Funny how fate has brought them together to...open a coffee shop? What is going on? And what is this Riddle Code I keep hearing about? SLASH!
1. Electricity

Chapter One: Bachelor-hood and Business Partners

At first, the idea of being a bachelor really suited Harry Potter. It was kind of fun, walking around his apartment in his boxer shorts and drinking out of the milk carton. No one to tell him what to do or how to behave. No one to tell him he had to save the world. But the concept had stopped being exciting and new and now Harry Potter was rather lonely. 

And in pain too, because he had just stubbed his toe on the coffee table. You see, Harry Potter had forgotten to pay the electrical bill again. Harry was cursing and swearing and nursing his sore toe when he heard a loud knock at the door. 

"I'll be right there!" He called to the person on the other side of the smooth panel of wood. He limped over to the door and opened it slowly. 

"Mr. Harry Potter?" inquired an old deliveryman in a starched brown uniform. He held a large manila envelope and a clipboard in his left hand. 

"Yes?" asked Harry. 

"This is for you, sign here please." 

Harry signed the dotted line and took the envelope. He thanked the deliveryman and shut the door. Harry walked over to the window (it was lighter over there) and opened the yellowish-pouch. Inside were a letter and a formal looking piece of paper. There was also a key. Harry pulled out the letter and read: 

__

Dear Harry, 

How is life treating you old boy? As you may or may not know, I have eloped. I'm currently in Florida (that's in America, in case they didn't teach you any Geography in that preppy boarding school of yours.) I need no mortal possessions, only the love of my life. Which means that you and another good friend of mine (a friend who knows quite a lot about running businesses) get to have my coffee shop. It's a bit run down, but all the machinery should be working fine. Although no one has been in it for years, so you may have a few rodent problems. No need to worry though! After you've tidied up a bit you'll get all the things you'll need in the mail. The deed is enclosed. Good luck Harry! I hope you get along well with your new business partner. You and him have much in common.

-Kolo M. Kapolkapec

There was a PS at the bottom giving the address of the coffee shop that Harry now co-owned. 

Was this another isolation-induced fantasy? Harry knew that he didn't get out much, but really. This was a bit elaborate, even by his standards. Honestly. Harry found that all he could do was sputter and stair at the paper. 

"Oh fuck, I've now regressed to full on hallucinations." Harry said to himself, seemingly out of no where.

Kolo was the old man who lived below Harry's apartment. Harry had tea with the man every day. He had thought that Kolo had died he was glad to find that he had only run away. Kolo was Harry first muggle friend and it hurt Harry when he disappeared. It made Harry all warm and tingly to know that Kolo was happy. 

"I own a coffee shop? Wait a second! I don't know anything about business!" Okay, so assuming this isn't a fantasy…he really didn't know anything about business.

Harry was feeling a little panicky and he always talked to himself when he was scared. Harry re-read the letter. 

"Wait a tick. 'You and another good friend of mine'? That means I don't have to run a business all by myself. Well that's a relief." 

Harry was still talking to himself. 

Harry memorized the address and placed the deed in a desk drawer where he knew it would be safe. Tomorrow he vowed to take at a look at his new coffee shop. He liked the sound of that. His new coffee shop. Harry's Coffee Shop. Nah, he needed a catchier name than that. But he could worry about 

that later. The first thing he needed to do was get his electricity turned back on.

//\\///\\//\\//\\\//\\\//\\//\\//\\\///\\///\\\///\\\//\\//\\//\\\///\\\//\\ \///\\\///\\//\\//\\//\\\//\\

Harry took the underground to Piccadilly Circus and then walked a few blocks to the address he had memorized and then written on his hand. 

The building he stopped in front of had big windows covered with old newspapers and dark brown wood molding around the outside. The front door was painted a pretty French blue that had faded a little bit with time. 

Harry pulled the key out of his pocket and slid it into the lock. Harry heard the pins shift and then a click when he turned the key. The first thing Harry thought when he opened the door was that the room smelled like old coffee beans. It was not an unpleasant smell. 

The room was big, with the same dark mahogany molding and French blue walls. The floor was covered in blue and white tile. In the center of the right wall there was a large copper coffee roaster, collecting dust. There were a dozen or so smallish tables with the chairs put up. On the left side there was a wooden bar with five stools pushed up against it. On the other side of the bar's countertop there was a large wooden block serving a shelf for the huge cappuccino machine that rested on top. Next to the wooden block there was a door that Harry assumed lead to a storage area or maybe a kitchen. 

Harry walked over to this door and saw that it was both a storage area and a kitchen. Inside it Harry found a mop and a bucket, which he filled with water. He also found a pile of rags and various cleaning products. 

Harry took off his jacket and set to work.

Two hours later Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived, Repeated Savior of the Wizarding World was on his hands and knees bare foot and sweating, scrubbing the floor. His jeans were rolled up to his knees and he was staring fixedly at a stain on the floor that wasn't coming out fast enough. The door of the shop was open and the newspaper been taken off the windows. The windows, which had formally been grubby and clouded looking, were now clear and letting the warm spring sunlight filter in.

Harry was still scrubbing the floor and singing along to an old radio that he had found when someone entered the shop. The person coughed quietly and Harry paused in his rendition of "I Wanna Be Sedated" and looked up. Harry dropped his brush and stood up quickly, wiping his hands on his jeans to dry them. 

"Please, please do not tell me that you are the business partner Kolo was writing me about." Begged Harry.

"Oh good God, bloody Fates and their sick twisted little minds. This is just ridiculous." Replied Draco Malfoy. 

"Merde." Harry said, completely dumbfounded. Could he perhaps be hallucinating again?

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Draco said, his face showing several emotions at once and then…nothing.

During The War Harry and Draco had put aside their differences and had been almost companionable. Almost being the key word. Sure Draco had helped the effort, but that never really stopped him from being a bastard.

That was six years ago. Harry hadn't seen him sense then. 

"Help me clean." Harry was good at taking control.

Harry handed Draco a rag and pointed to the half of the restaurant he hadn't gotten to clean yet. He expected Draco to refuse, or at least say something about it being "servant work" but all Draco did was take off his jacket and his shoes. 

He looked around approvingly. 

"Not bad Potter. This place should look nice when it's done."

David Bowie's "Changes" had just come on the radio. 'Changes indeed.' Harry thought in an amused sort of way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N

Someone said I lacked grammer. So just spaced this out and added a few things. I realized that if I wanted new readers then I should make this more reader friendly. Yay. Read and Review (and Greetings if you're a first time reader!)


	2. Talking

Chapter 2  
  
When the sun was just below the horizon Harry looked up from the spot on the floor he was scrubbing (it was a different spot.there seemed to be a lot of them) and said to Draco  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
Draco looked over from behind the bar and said  
  
"A little, I guess." His stomach growled at the obvious lie. Draco looked down a blushed.  
  
"And by a little I mean famished." He said, smiling.  
  
"I know a pub a short ways from here, would you like to go?" Harry asked, hopeful.  
  
"Erm, yeah I guess." Draco said nervously.  
  
"Lets go then." Harry said, pulling on his socks and his trainers. He rolled down his pants and put on his jacket. Draco did the same thing. They put the buckets, mops, rags, and other cleaning tools and products away quickly and left the slightly cleaner soon-to-be-coffee-shop. Harry locked the door behind them and the started down the block. Draco followed close behind, looking around nervously. "Worried someone will see you with Harry Potter, Evil Griffyndor Prat?" Harry asked, picking up on Draco's skittish behavior.  
  
"No, just worried about being seen period." Draco mumbled, looking over his shoulder.  
  
Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at Draco and Draco just shrugged. Harry was about to ask Draco what he meant by shrugging but they had arrived in front of the pub. They walked inside and were assaulted with a blast of unintelligible noise. They sat down at the bar and Harry ordered a beer and shepherd's pie. Draco ordered beer and bangers and mash. (A/N Draco eating one of my favorite foods.can't go wrong there.okay back to the story)  
  
"So how'd you know Kolo?" Harry asked, trying to strike up a conversation.  
  
"I was.sick.once and he helped me back on my feet." Draco replied distantly. "How did you meet the old guy?" Draco asked, coming back down to earth.  
  
"When I first moved out of the wizarding world and into the muggle one I didn't have any friends or anyplace to stay. He let me live with him for about a week. He help me get an apartment above his, and by then I had grown to like him so much that I ended up visiting him every day. I wonder who the lucky girl was." Harry had a reminiscing feeling to his voice.  
  
"What lucky girl?" Draco asked, now fully engrossed.  
  
"The one he eloped with." Harry said, his tone making the statement sound like it should have began or ended with 'Duh.'  
  
"Eloped?" Draco pushed.  
  
"Kolo eloped, he moved to Florida. That's why he gave me-us the coffee shop. Didn't you get a letter or something?" Harry asked, his bewilderment evident on his face.  
  
"So that's why Kolo left! He never told me he was in love. He just handed me a key attached to a note card with and address on the back. He said it was a business opportunity."  
  
"Business opportunity indeed." Harry said, just as there food had arrived.  
  
They ate in silence. When they were halfway done with their meals Draco said  
  
"You know, its funny, when people really enjoy something familiar, like bangers and mash, they always say something like 'Just like mum use to make' but my mum never cooked anything in her whole life."  
  
Harry chuckled and said "Wonder if my mum could cook. I recon she couldn't cos my aunt is a horrible cook."  
  
Draco looked at him surprised, last time he checked, the only time Harry ever talked about his parents was with a deadened voice and a depressed look in his eyes. Draco was not the only one who dealt with his past in the six years they hadn't seen each other.  
  
"Do you live here in London?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, right around here actually." Draco said, taking another bite of his mashed potatoes. (A/N YUMMY!!!!!)  
  
"Muggle or Wizard part?" Harry asked, sipping his ale.  
  
Draco shuddered involuntarily.  
  
"Muggle." Draco said quietly.  
  
Harry looked up from his meal and stared at Draco. 'A Malfoy living and interacting with Muggles every day? That can't be right.' Harry thought and then. 'A Malfoy owning a business with a Potter? Not bloody likely.'  
  
There was a silence that stretched between them and seemed to last much longer than it actually did.  
  
"I never thanked you for saving my life."  
  
"Thank you for saving me."  
  
Draco and Harry said at exactly the same time. The looked up from their dinner plates and Harry said  
  
"I didn't save your life."  
  
"You killed my father. It's the same thing. When I.saved you, it was just payment." When had this conversation that had been about a mutual friend turned into a 'Things-I've always-wanted-to-say-but-never-got-a- chance-to' conversation?  
  
Harry didn't want to go down that path. There were so many things that Harry wanted to say to Draco, things he knew he didn't have the courage to let out of his heart and into words. (A/N HINT HINT HINT HINT!)  
  
Draco checked his watch and sighed. It was getting late. He didn't usually stay out after dark. Draco liked being in Harry's company, but the discussion had taken an uncomfortable turn. It was time to leave.  
  
The left some money on the table, a little too much maybe but it wasn't like they didn't have any money to spare.  
  
They put on their jackets and exited the pub. Outside the wooden door they stood facing each other. They shook hangs and they parted ways, Draco going home and Harry going to the subway, both with considerably more on there minds than before.  
  
*A/N Okay I'm working on spacing it out more. I'm not sure how exactly. Also, I'll try and put in more detail. What exactly do you want detail about? I'm not sure how to give you details about London cos I've never ever been there. Suggestions? Reviews? You know you want to! Whilst you're waiting for me to post another chappie you can read my other story. It's a Draco/Ginny with and actual plot (I'm not sure if this one will have too great of a plot, no battling Moldy Shorts or anything) Um my other story is called In the Heart, In the Veins, On the Mind. Thanks to those who reviewed 


	3. Me odio te!

Chapter the Third (finally)  
  
"No, you've got it all wrong. Negli means in not on! That piece definetly doesn't go there!"  
  
"For your information, Malfoy, negli means both in and on!"  
  
"Which one of us spent his summers sunbathing on the coast of the Mediterranian?"  
  
"Malfoy, just because I had a deprived childhood doesn't mean I can't read Italian! And I'd rather not have any mental pictures of you sunbathing, (A/N I would.mmmmm) thanks all the same."  
  
"This is pointless. I give up!"  
  
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were sitting on the floor of their coffee shop three weeks before it was shedualed to open, attemping vainly to operate the cappicino machine. Not that hard a thing to do, really, but the instructions were all in Italian.  
  
"Me odio te!" Harry exclaimed, punching the shiney coffe/cappichino maker. The thing started vibrating violenly for a few seconds, then made an awful screeching noise.  
  
Harry and Draco waited with baited breath, staring cautiously at the huge machine.  
  
There was a long pause and then-  
  
"Coffee!" Harry exclaimed, grabbing a mug and putting it under the spout where the dark black substance was coming out. It stoped automatically when the mug was about ¾ full.  
  
"Er.that's great but how do we get it started again?"  
  
They looked at it for a few seconds, foreheads creased in thought.  
  
Draco grabbed a mug and put it on the small black platform under the spout. Coffee came out and filled his cup with the same amount that Harry's had.  
  
"Awesome." Harry said, ever the articulate one.  
  
"Seven hells Potter, please refrain from using such crude language around me."  
  
"Sure thing Malfoy."  
  
The sat down at one of the tables, facing eachother. Although they had only owned the coffee shop for a week, they had gotten a lot done. Draco handled everything business. He made sure that they had a permit and he had shedualed the health inpecter to come in next week. He had also gotten a license from the city of London for owning an eatery and had gotten the place insured in case of an accident (A/N I have no idea how to run a business. None of this is acurate but humor me and pretend it is).  
  
They had both agreed to let Harry be in charge of the people or custormer realted affairs. He was hiring staff sometime within the next two weeks and then still after they opened the coffee shop.  
  
"Where did you learn to speak Italian anyway?" Draco asked Harry.  
  
Harry mumbld something incoherant into his coffee.  
  
"Sorry, didn't catch that."  
  
More mumbling.  
  
"Come now, it can't be that big of a secret. Where did you learn? Promise I wont make fun or anything."  
  
"Um.I had a summer fling with an Italian guy."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Lucky bastard!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Wish I had an Italian guy."  
  
They stared at eachother in silence for a long time.  
  
"Didn't know you were gay." They said at the same time.  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't really know it myself, it took me till the end of my 7th year."  
  
"I knew from the time I was really young. No one else did though. Severus and Dumbledore knew. My father found out, which was part of the reason he wanted to kill me."  
  
Until this point, they hadnt talked about Hogwarts or anyone they knew from school at all.  
There was a reason for this, a reason for them carrying around wands, but never using them, for thinking about the people who died but never visiting their graves.  
  
There was a reason, but they didn't want to talk about it.  
  
Silence reigned and an unasked question hung in the air:  
  
'Why did you leave?'  
  
A/N Yes, I am evil incarnate for not updating in months but school is over now and I've got all sorts of time. For the love of pie people, review and I'll update! Scout's honour. In the next chapter:  
The coffe shop gets named, someone gets hired, and the shop finally opens! There may be some small D/H action but no kissing. You will find out why they left, but not soon. Um what else? OH! A wonderful surprise that I'll put in if I get reviews! It involves rain, a small apartment and a power outage. This is gonna be oodles of fun! XX Darky PS Thank you so much for all the reviews/offerings of mash potatoes. Y'all rule! 


	4. James Dean and Coffee Beans

Chapter 4 

[Nothing like threats to get a girl to update, eh?]

"Potter, I refuse to let you higher him. Being aesthetically pleasing does not hide the fact that he couldn't tell his ass from a doorknob. Hire that nice Claufield girl. She seemed smart enough."

"Firstly, I think you're jealous of him. Secondly, he is not that stupid. Thirdly, I'm in charge of people affairs so let me decide who to hire."

"It's a joint project you winged ding bat! Kolo left the shop to both of us. And if he's not stupid then I'm a flying moose. I've got as much say in whom to hire as you do. And I am most certainly not jealous! I'm much better looking then he was. I'm damn sexy."

"Stop mentioning all these animals! It's confusing me. And I personally thought he was a wonderful people-person. He'd make an excellent employee."

"Yeah okay, and you're saying this because he was groping you under the table! And animal names really shouldn't confuse you at this point. Come to think of it, I think you're rather good for each other."

"You're not 'damn sexy'. I'd say you're more of a 'bark that's bigger than his bite' puppy."

"Bigger that my bite?" Draco licked his lips. "Wanna bet?"

The space between them minimized in two quick steps toward each other. 

Time stood still. Harry couldn't stop staring at Draco's lips. 

Then the bell above the door jingled as someone entered the shop. 

"Hi. Are you still hiring?" 

Draco and Harry jumped apart and cleared their throats nervously. 

The speaker was obviously Asian with an American accent. His hair was short and spiky with the ends bleached to a blond-orange color. He was wearing a white T-shirt and baggy pinstriped pants with a black baseball cap in his hand. He looked to be about 18. He was looking around the shop, taking in the newest additions, two blue velour couches and some artwork done by Harry Potter himself. He looked impressed. \

"Uh. Yeah sure. Sit down. What's your name? Can I see your résumé?"

"My name is Berkley Breathed. Here." The boy pulled out a white sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Harry who laid it on one of the tables at sat down. Berkley looked around the shop appraisingly.

"Well sit down." Said Draco (A/N Felton says this is COS. I can hear him saying it to Crabbe and Goyle. ***giggle*) **

Harry started asking Berkley questions and Draco just tapped his foot and sighed impatiently. He was clicking a mechanical pencil loudly for about a minute when Harry snapped and asked:

"Is there a reason you're here?" 

"Well, obviously it isn't the company, or the atmosphere, could it be that, oh yes, I own the shop!"

"Co-own you prat. You're not helping by acting like a two-year-old."

"I'm not acting like a two year old. But you didn't even introduce me to Berkley and I'm very fucking insulted."

"Draco, you scare people away. That is why I'm interviewing people and you're paying the bills. See, I'm the people person and you're the um…well you're Draco."

"Oh fuck you." Draco turned to Berkley who was looking at their exchange with a very puzzled look on his face. 

"Hi, I'm Draco Malfoy. If you're going to work here you are going to have to get use to Potter's uncouth and improper behavior. I like you. Do you wanna work here?"

"Yeah, I'm the uncouth one. At least I know enough not to constantly put people down. I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day on your inferiority complex. Jackass."

"I'm choosing to ignore you now, because if I don't, then I'll end up killing you."

"Why Draco? Did I hit a soft spot with you? How many psychologists have you seen lately."

"You'd be surprised." 

Harry gave Draco a funny look. Berkley looked at both of them with raised eyebrows. 

"So when can I start?" he asked, the conversation not bothering him at all. 

Draco snorted in a most out-of-character fashion. Harry's mouth opened and closed a few times before anything actually came out.

"Next Tuesday. Be here at 8:00."

"Great! But before I go, could you tell me the uh…name of this place? I mean, the add in the paper just said 'Now Hiring: Coffee Shop' but, its not named."

Harry looked at Draco, and Draco just shrugged his shoulders. 

"Erm…"

"Happenstance Coffee." Draco said. 

"Happenstance?"

"Yeah, happenstance: situations beyond your control that happen arbitrarily. Sums us up in one word." 

"I like it!" Declared Harry.

(A/N LAURA! Good ole male strippers!) 

"Of course you do, I'm a genius."

"Reading the dictionary regularly doesn't make you a genius."

"No, But I am the master of Scrabble."

"You've never played Hermione then."

"And I don't plan to."

Berkley interrupted. 

"Listen, I've got to go. See you Tuesday?"

"Yeah, Tuesday. Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

Draco and Harry shake hands with Berkley and he pulls his cap on backwards and leaves.

They sit back down at the table, facing each other.

"Happenstance Coffee…we're gonna need a sign." Harry 

"Sounds good. The kinda place people want to go to."

"Yeah. Did that shipment of paper goods come in yet?"

"Yesterday. What about those coffee beans?"

"Came in this morning."

"Everything else ready for Tuesday?"

"Completely. Kolo practically did the whole thing for us."

For once, the silence wasn't angry, it was companionable. 

"I miss him."

"Me too. A lot."

"You wanna go see a movie?"

"What?"

"Do. You. Want. To. Go. See. A. Movie?

"With you?"

"No Potter, you fucking loon, with the Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo has a fondness for James Dean."

"Well if you're gonna insult me about it…"

"Stop acting like a piss ant. Do you want to go or not?"

"Did you say James Dean?"

"Yeah, there is a marathon, down at the Capitol Theater."

"I'm in."

"Wonderful."

They grabbed their coats and set out just as the sun was setting. 

"You know, I've only been to the movies two other times in my whole life." Harry said off handedly.

"Excuse me? You're such a liar. I know for a fact that you were raised by muggles. Muggles go to the movies all the time."

"Erm…not if you were raised by muggles who didn't like you." Harry said quietly.

"Didn't like you? You're the savior of the world and the 'didn't like you'?"

"Yeah, they hate wizards. I was un-human to them. They made me sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. I never got a birthday card until I was 13." This might sound like a sob story, only Harry said it lightly and offhandedly. Like it didn't bother him.

It bothered Draco. It made him feel even guiltier for the years he spent taunting Harry because his father told him to, for thinking Harry was anything but perfect. It bothered him more than it should have.

Draco thought he had gotten over constantly feeling guilty about his past digressions.

Being around Harry changed all that. 

Draco thought that all the stories about Harry the Tragic Boy Hero Who Has Save-The-World-Syndrome and Came From Nothing To Do Every Thing were all lies. Knowing they were true, that Harry really was as good as he sounded…made him feel like dirt.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Harry as a thought dawned on him. Harry stopped too and Draco's jaw dropped.

"I-I don't deserve to be around you. You're…perfect." 

"Have you gone demented, Draco? What's wrong?"

"When will you be applying for sainthood, Potter? Why are you even talking to me? The things you know I've done---I'm contaminating you." Draco's voice was ragged and desperate. 

"I've known forgiveness Draco. Its only right for me to forgive others in turn."

"When did I become Draco to you?"

"When I learned how you hated the Malfoys, how you hated yourself for being one. Remember you stopped answering to it that day, in 7th year? You didn't answer to Draco either. I couldn't taunt you like that. Calling you Malfoy seemed like--- I was hurting you. You'd flinch and---Gods, I'm rambling. Sorry."

"No. Thank you. For---everything."

"And thank you."

Draco didn't have to ask for what.

They made their way to the movie theater, talking about small things. Not their childhoods or school (still open wounds for them both) but about books.

Both of them seemed to like the same authors. They got into and argument when the reached the subject of Lord of the Rings.

"They are defiantly lovers. I mean there is so much evidence pointing to it."

"Oh really, such as?"

"You know that part in Return of the King, after Frodo's been beaten up badly by the orcs and Sam finally finds him? Well, firstly, Frodo is completely naked, but its more than that. Sam says the sweetest, most loving things and he is so gentle and he says 'I love you' several times. He even kisses him. There is so much evidence."

"That's because they're best friends! Not lovers. I would have done that for Ron and he'd have done it for me, back in the day. He loves him as a friend. That, by the way, was one of my favorite parts. Very emotional."

"Yeah. Forgot how much you like Lord of the Rings. Your code name for the Order was Strider right?"

"You're one to talk, wasn't yours Celeborn?"

"No. It was Isildor. Big difference."

"Figures you'd chose a king."

"Figures you'd choose the hero Er…and the king too!"

They laughed loudly.

Both of them were startled when they realized they had reached the theater. The bought tickets and popcorn, then sat down on the worn velvet seats. 

Rebel Without a Cause flickered onto the screen and Harry and Draco sat up straighter in their seats.

Draco (who had seen this movie too many times to count) mumbled the lines along with the characters. ('You wanna bug us till we lock you up!' along with the cops in the first scene and then later 'It's the age where nothing fits!' along with Jim's mother.)

When James shouts 'You're tearing me apart!' Draco shouted it too, and found that Harry had done the same.

They looked at each other with eyes both curios and surprised. 

Draco liked how the artificial light played across Harry's feature and how his lips shined with popcorn butter. 

Harry was amazed to find the moving pictures had formed a halo around Draco's head, making him look ethereal.

Both of them felt a mysterious heat in there hands and they looked down to find Draco's pale hand had covered Harry's.

/Move you're hand. Pretend it was an accident. Move your hand move your hand move your hand. But---I like it where it is. No. No. NO! Move your hand!/

Draco was mentally yelling at himself and was distressed to find his hand would not obey his brain. It seemed to be commanded by his heart.

Harry was still staring at their hands, and slowly, so slowly Harry rotated his hand until they were palm to palm.

And Draco, in turn, hesitantly laced his fingers with Harry's.

Judy's voice in the background said 'All the time, I've been looking for someone to   
love me--and now I love somebody. It's so easy.'

When the movie ended and the next one came on (Giant) Harry found his hand was sill intertwined with Draco's even when the last movie, East of Eden, came on their hands were still together. 

But when East of Eden was finished and the lights came up, their hands came apart. Both of them were pleased to find that their palms weren't sweaty or clammy, just pleasantly tingling.

The exited the theater in silence, and when they parted ways it was with nothing but a mumbled good-bye and thoughts of the empty houses that awaited them.

~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`

Tuesday dawned cold and gray, the perfect day for a nice warm cup of coffee at a cozy local shop.

When Draco arrived at the shop at 7.00 am sharp he was completely shocked and amazed to find what was waiting for him there.

A line had formed at the door. Waiting to be let in. 

Draco could not believe it. There must be at least 35 people waiting outside.

He had to shove people out of the way to get to the door and unlock it. He squeezed himself in and locked the door behind him. Harry was already at the bar. When he saw Draco he bounced excitedly and exclaimed. 

"Draco! Can you believe it? All these people. That add in the paper and the announcement on the radio work great! There are reporters here too! I can't believe this is happening."

Draco gulped. 

"Reporters?" He squeaked. "I-I can't let them see me Harry. If I get into the paper---BAD things will happen. Oh God, Harry. Pretend I don't exist if they ask you questions. Try not to mention my name. Be very vague."

"Draco, don't worry. They're just gonna review the shop. I won't let anything happen."

Draco was ashamed to admit he was grateful. Harry couldn't protect him from his past, but it was nice of him to try. 

Berkley showed up a few minutes later looking chipper and a little tussled. 

"Nice sign." He commented, coolly to Draco, acting as if he wasn't just mobbed by the crowd.

"How are we gonna serve all these people?" Harry said, his voice panicky.

"I mean, this is ridicules! They haven't even tried out coffee yet." he continued, looking paler.

"I've drunk a lot of coffee in my life time, and I must say your's is one of the best." Berkley said, putting on his apron.

"Thanks. I add a secret ingredient." Draco said smiling, taking in Berkley's appearance.

Today, all three of them were in jeans and trainers. Draco had a orange 'Girls Scouts of America' shirt on, Harry had a blue one that said 'My dog Sam made me do it.' and Berkley was wearing a bright red plaid thing that would look tacky on anyone but him. (A/N Think Orlando Bloom's shirt collection. Hideous, yes…but damn could that man pull it off and make it look good…) 

Draco hoped they made a good impression.

Harry set to work making sure they had enough cups and covers while Berkley placed pound bags of coffee on the shelf near the front counter. He also checked to make sure there was enough money in the register to give the proper amount of change. 

Meanwhile, Draco was in the kitchen in the back making scones. ('It's a family recipe.' 'Somehow, I can't see the Malfoys making scones' 'Okay, so I stole the recipe from the Zambini's…but they're really good!') he also had back a whole bunch of others pastries. He'd been up forever but they turned out really well.

When the clock in the corner chimed eight o'clock, Harry went and opened the door.

"Hi!" He said to the masses, "Thank you so much for coming here today. Careful you don't hurt anyone. Erm…welcome to Happenstance Coffee."

The people poured in and got in line. 

Draco, Harry and Berkley worked very fast, trying to do there best to please everyone. 

Draco's scones were a big hit and Berkley could make a damn good cappuccino. Some customers got their coffee to go and others sat on the blue couches and stayed a while. A group of girls seem quite taken with Berkley. Draco laughed when he saw them try and flirt with him. Was Berkley blushing? HA!

One person even inquired about the 'wonderful artwork' and it was Harry's turn to blush. The person promised to return.

Throughout the day they had a steady flow of customers and absolutely no complaints. The three of them were immensely proud, Draco and Harry especially. 

They saw a food critic scribbling away on a note pad and hoped for the best. They had all sorts of odd people come into the café, from the very elderly to the young and fresh. Draco talked with practically all of them. 

All in all, the day had been wonderful.

Harry and Draco couldn't believe they had pulled it off. They dismissed Berkley and said they'd see him tomorrow.

When they had finished calculating the day's earnings Draco and Harry plopped down on one of the couches and lean against each other for support.

They were exhausted. 

"Good work to day Harry."

"Same to you Draco."

"I'm going home."

"Me too."

They parted ways at the door again and went home, both of them barely able to walk straight, for the tiredness.

Harry had just laid himself out on the couch in a pair of sweat pants, with a beer in his hand, watching the telly when he heard a knock at the door.

He groaned loudly and stood up.

He pulled the door open and was surprised at what he saw. 

"Harry, can I stay hear tonight? My house…the power is out."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"You don't have to lie Draco."

"I do if I don't like the truth."

~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`~*`

A/N PINCH ME! Author's note time! I'd write it if you'd stop pinching me. OW! I said stop! Thank you. Longest chapter I've ever written. Sorry I made you wait. Sorry I made it a cliffhanger. Sorry Sorry Sorry! Please tell me what you think. I was thinking of changing the name of my story to Happenstance Coffee. I like the way it sounds. Your opinion? Hmmmm? It means soo much to me, really. I want you to review. Make sure it's nice and long. This is some of the only outside human contact I get you know, so help a poor sheltered girl. Feed her back. As for the next chapter…well our favorite boys are gonna have themselves a little slumber party. Hehehehe. Review and you can read it. The holding hands in the movies bit is stolen from Rainbow Boys (a really good book, just so you know.) Erm…James Dean quotes belong to him and the characters belong to JK Rowling. That's all!

Thanks for reading, now be good and REVIEW! Oh yeah…and if there are mistakes, I'm really sorry. It's 3 am.

With Something Resembling Fondness

Darkie


	5. The Truth about The Riddle Code

Chapter Six

(yeah…it does take an angry mob to get me to update.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"That's disgusting. A fucking filthy habit."

"Yeah, I know. But damned necessary."

"No, what's damn necessary is for you to put your fucking cigarette out. It'll take 20 years off your life."

"Didn't know you cared, Draco. Can't say I've got much to live for anyway." Harry said, taking a long drag on his cigarette and blowing the smoke in Draco's direction.

"Don't be maudlin. You've got a coffee shop." 

Harry snorted. 

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He said, grinning at the flickering TV screen, but putting his cigarette all the same.

Draco and Harry were sitting on Harry's big, fluffy, slightly worn out couch, and having put their faith in late night TV, they were watching a cheesy movie. Each was nursing their third bottle of beer. 

There was silence except for the corny lines of the made for TV movie. 

"Aren't you going to ask me why the fuck I'm here?" Draco finally snapped. He still trying to process how he ended up with Harry Potter curled at the opposite end of the couch and smelling like coffee beans. 

"Was planning on getting you smashed first, figured it might be easier." Harry said, his eyebrows raised and the neck of his beer bottle resting at the side of his mouth, looking rather out of character. 

"Ah, always the gentleman, our Harry Potter."

"So I've heard." 

"You gonna tell me, or what?"

"More alcohol first, the story takes quite a bit of telling."

Harry glanced at the clock. It was only 10:30. 

"I've got time."

"Since we've got that settled, I suppose my quasi-epic…"

At this point Harry interrupted. 

"What, like, the diet coke of epics? Just one calorie of a story? Not even en--"

A large pillow to the head cut Harry off.

"You gonna let me finish? This isn't fucking easy for me, you know? Its not like I'll tell this to anyone who'll listen. Its…hard."

"I'm sorry, I know it's hard. Just…have another beer okay? I'm listening, really."

"Okay well. I guess the story of how I ended up in your living room…I guess it starts in our 7th year." 

Harry had to interrupt one more time. 

"Yeah well, that's when everything started, isn't it?"

But Draco's eyes were glazed over, staring at things Harry couldn't see. As if speaking for another world, Draco told his tale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christmas Eve, Six years ago. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Ripple dissolve…commences flashback*

"Good morning, Draco. Could you perhaps drop by my office around lunchtime? I know that's when you have a free period and I'd like to discuss something with you."

Damn twinkling eyes, Draco could not stand Albus Dumbledore and he could not stand those twinkling eyes. 

"Erm. Yessir." Draco said, doing his best at sounding cowed. What he was really saying was "Yeah and hell will freeze over. I'll be gone after my forth class. Good-bye Hogwarts, hello Death Eaters." 

Dumbledore didn't look convinced. 

"Thank you. I'm sure Professor Snape will be glad to escort you there after your charms class, right before lunch."

__

/Blast it all. Foiled again by Albus fucking Dumbledore. Suppose I had better owl Mother, telling her I won't be able to make it. Oh that's just bloody fucking brilliant. Snape was probably the one that snitched to Dumbledor about the initiation ceremony that was scheduled for tonight. Of course Dumbledore won't let me go without sharing a few of his little life altering jewels of wisdom first. / Thought Draco heatedly. 

"Is it mandatory?" Draco had to ask... this was his future he was playing with, after all. 

"Its mandatory." 

And that was that. 

Draco walked away without saying good bye and spent the rest of the morning in a huff. He didn't notice the sympathetic stares most of the student body was throwing at him, and didn't hear or see the loud lamentations of Pansy Parkinson, or the fact the Vince and Greg hadn't said a damn thing except for a gruff "I'm sorry," in place of a morning greeting. 

But the Slytherins were a complicated lot and Draco was a little preoccupied on the what the consequences were going to be once Voldemort found out that he wasn't getting initiated quite yet, so he didn't think anything was particularly out of whack. (A/N Ack. So many run-on sentences.) 

Professor Snape was waiting for him outside the Charms classroom. The normal heavy creases in his forehead seemed deeper and more defined. 

Draco took this all in stride. Snape was always a little…off. 

"Hello, Draco." He said, curtly. 

"Morning, Professor." 

Snape turned and headed down the Charms corridor, with Draco following reluctantly. The people in the portraits whispered and pointed, students avoided his gaze, and Draco was waiting for someone to yell "DEAD MAN WALKING!"

"Chocolate Covered Pixie Wings." 

"Excuse me, what?" Draco balked.

"Dumbledore's password." Snape said, looking at Draco like he'd grown a second head. 

"Uhm…right." Mumbled Draco as the gargoyle leapt aside and the winding staircase made itself known. 

"I'll uh...see you in the Common Room tonight, Professor."

Professor Snape nodded, but as Draco started to climb the stair he was sure he heard a quiet "I doubt it." 

Looking back, Draco wished he'd asked what Snape he had meant.

He could have been a different person. He could have led a different life. 

If only, if only… 

When Draco finally reached the top of the stairs he found Dumbledore through a set of wooden doors and behind an oaken desk.

"Welcome."

"Squawk!" (No, this wasn't Draco's reply. Fawks would be attending this meeting too.) 

"Right." (This is what Draco's reply was. The presence of the phoenix was unsettling.) 

"Please sit down." 

Draco complied immediately. Dumbledore's most commanding voice can act like an Imperious between the eyes. 

"Do you know what this is?" Dumbledore asked, throwing an envelope down on his desk.

"It's a letter." Draco said flatly, beginning to bristle slightly. 

"No." Dumbledore corrected, "This your get out of jail free card." 

Draco didn't catch the Muggle reference, but he did catch Dumbledore's drift.

"I'm listening." 

"This letter was written to Mr. Thomas Riddle on the night of November 6th. It contains information that could bring Voldemort's whole operation to its knees. The only problem is its in code. And there are only three people in the world that can break it. Voldemort, Lucious Malfoy and…"

"Me." 

"That's right." 

"So you want my help." 

"Yes."

"What's in it for me?"

"We can give you protection."

"So can Voldemort."

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you know that isn't true."

"Do I?"

"Voldemort didn't protect your mother, did he?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you read the papers?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Draco, your mother…your mother is dead."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"She was…Draco I'm so sorry. The Dementors killed your mother. She was trying to break your father out of jail."

"No. She wouldn't do anything that stupid. I know my mother."

"She would under Imperious. The Death Eaters did it to her."

Draco pushed his chair back from the desk so fast it fell over. He stood up and began pacing. 

He was clenching and unclenching his jaw so hard Dumbledore could sees the muscles working from several feet away.

"My mother, my own mother. I can't believe this. How could they put it in papers? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I'm sorry Draco."

"Oh I bloody fucking bet you are! You're such a bastard, using my own mother's death against me. I'll crack your fucking codes you bastard, but don't you dare think I'm working for you."

"I can't risk you going to Voldemort. You must pledge your allegiance, or no one will trust you."

"I'm not doing this for you, Dumbledore. If Voldemort got my mother killed, then I will help even you and your little Saint Potter bring him down. This is for her. She didn't deserve dying like she did."

"Can you start tonight? This is very important, Hogwarts is at risk. You're exempt from all your classes, until further notice, if you will."

"Show me the letter, and whatever else needs to be deciphered."

****

end flashback

"Okay."

"Yeah, but how does that bring you here?"

"Well, you see, Voldemort was always very paranoid and he knew that his luck would run out eventually. So he made a spell to bring him back, no matter what. But he wrote it in code…" 

"The Riddle Code."

"Yeah, that's right. The code only I can decipher. So Voldemort's supporters have been tracking me, ever since they found the document. I met Kolo when I was hiding out in a bar. He said that I could lay low at his place for a while. I couldn't believe that such kind people like him could exist. I swear, that man is an angel."

"So they found you? Were they at your house when you got home?"

"Not quite. I saw one poking around, didn't want to take any chances, so I left."

"So you came here?"

"No. I-I was a little distraught, so I came to Kolo's house. But he doesn't live here anymore and I remember you saying that you lived in the apartment above…so I just walked up the stairs and hoped you were home. Besides, you're Harry Potter…you never could resist a hopeless case."

"Did you Apperate?"

"No."

"Why not?

"Tracking Spells. They'd be able to find me in a second if I used magic. But…that doesn't explain why you don't use magic. Your house doesn't have any wards. I can sense them."

"I'm afraid that is a story for another time."

"Ah well, I'll stick around till you come out of your hole. I'm patient."

"You're spending the night then?"

"If you're offering?"

"I'm offering you my couch, if that's what you mean."

"Thank you." Harry could tell he meant it. 

"You wanna watch another movie?" Movies solved everything.

"Yeah, okay." Draco seemed to agree. After a beat, he asked

"In the morning, I'm gonna need your help."

"Uh…defeating Death Eaters?" How was Harry going to explain that he got out of that business long ago? 

"No. Making scones."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Years later, Harry often wondered how he wound up with Draco's head on his shoulder, surrounded by morning sunlight and empty beer bottles. They had fallen asleep halfway through whatever movie they had been watching.

"Draco, walk up. We've got work."

"Mmmm…one more minute." Draco was drooling.

"Don't you have scones to make?" 

Draco's eyes flew open.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, and fell off the couch, taking Harry with him.

Harry landed on top of Draco with an "Oomph!" 

"Well…this is comfy." Draco sneered, as Harry's elbows dug into his ribs. 

"Yes."

"Mmm."

"Uh…scones?"

"Right."

Draco didn't like the loss of warmth that Harry's absence caused. 

"Come on then." Harry said, pulling Draco up off the floor.

"I hope you have enough flour."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Roughly an hour and a half later Draco and Harry were on an empty subway car (a rare occasion in London.) Harry was sitting on the bench and Draco was standing over him, both his hands on the upper hand rail that hung from the car roof, standing between Harry's knees. 

The subway car was older than most and the lights flickered on and off, while blue and white lights flashed in from the walls of the tube. 

If you were watching from a distance you would see a blond man lean down and kiss a dark hair man, but you'd only see it in snatches, like fragments of a dream.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N

Well okay then. Thank you thank you thank you to my wonderful reviewers! Hope that answered a few of your questions. Ohh…but Harry's still go his secrets! And the coffee shop has only been open for a day! Hope I didn't take their relationship too fast…but…they've been around each other for over a month…and they've got history so ya know…

Anyway. Working on a new story. Its gonna be good. It's a Draco/Neville (yeah I know…but you read Lust Over Pendle and not have them be your OTP!) Wherein Draco burns down Malfoy Manor under some very mysterious circumstances…and winds up living in London for a summer…and with some interference from Dumbledore (and a trail…) he has to work at St. Mungo's. There he sees a different side of Neville. Sounds pretty bad, but it really isn't. I'm quite excited about it! Called "English Summer Rain" so keep your eye open for it!

As for updates…ASAP… I suppose…the next chapter won't be as long as this one, I dun think…but I'll have it up… soon-ish.

Oh yeah and the title of this will CHANGE! "Cup of Joe, Spot of Tea by Dark Phoenix" will become "Happenstance Coffee by Amen" on October 31st! Okay? Good. Oh and…I dun own anything you recognize. Really.


	6. Lazy Saturdays

Chapter Five

If Berkley found it odd that Draco and Harry arrived at the exact same time, standing closer that they normally would, he didn't show it. However, his face did show that he was very excited about something.

"Lookit! We're in the paper!" He cried, pracially tackling Harry and Draco.

"Lemme see!" Harry said, snatching the paper from Berkely's hands. It looks as if Draco's kisses caused Harry to temporarily act like a twelve year old. Draco didn't know wether he should feel disgusted or aroused. 

"Read it aloud, Potter, if you're not going to share it." Draco commanded, but in that understated way he ways always using. 

"Alright, alright. Hold on." Harry unfolded the paper and began to read:

__

Happenstance Coffee: A Break from the Ordinary

Torah Alans Reports

If latey you've been feeling overwhemld by the sheer amount of corperate coffee shops that seem to be popping up on every street corner then Happenstance Coffee may be your savior. The coffee is without a doubt the best coffee I've had in years, without any fancy addins or complicated names. What it does have is massive amonts of caffine. But it's the service with a smile that really makes you want to stay there for a week. Although the shop only has one employee and two owners working there it runs like a very well oiled machine. Some how the quirky but undoubtedly good-looking co-owner Harry Potter managed to talk to every costomer and the blonde pocket Adonis behind the counter charmed everyone's pants off with just a smile. Aparently the blonde one is also the maker of all the scones. Oh…the scones. Countries have fought wars over this scone recipe, I'm sure of it. When I say they're to die for, I'm completely serious. Happenstance Coffee is a place to stop at daily, and if you go enough I'm sure it will become a place where "everyone knows your name". It's excellent pastires and coffee, the eclectoc art-deco ferniture and original artwork make it a shop that will not be just a passing fad. 

I hope to see you there.

"This is gonna be great publicity!" Harry cried when he was finished.

"How come I wasn't mentioned?" Berkley pouted.

"She thinks I'm sexy! And she liked my scones!" Draco was exstatic.

"Can I see the paper?" Draco asked Harry, reaching out to grab it from his hand. Harry snatched his hand back to prevent this, but somehow he ending up losing grip on it and the papers went up in the air, only to come back down like demented snowflakes.

"Jesus Christ, Harry, if you were any more spazdic you'd be a vibrator." Draco snapped, bending down to pick up the paper, but he froze when he reached the front page.

"Shit. Oh shit." He wispered, sitting down on the floor, holding the paper close up to his face, hoping his eyes had betrayed him. 

There it was, in big, bold letters, the headline that would change everything.

LOCAL TOWN HOUSE BURNED DOWN IN MYSTERIOUS FIRE

And directly under that was a picture of Draco's house…engulfed in flames.

"What is it, Malfoy? What's wrong?" Harry was by his side in a instant, and even if Draco was confused and scared beyond anything at this point, he could still appreciate Harry's arm around his shoulders. The world was a funny place.

"It's my house. It's…it's been burned down."

"Do you think it was Death Eaters?" Harry wispered, while Berkley strained his ears to hear.

"Who else could it be?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Leave again, I guess. Brazil, maybe."

"Again? Has this happened before?"

"Of course it has. I told you last night, it's been happening since I left Hogwarts. I don't want to put anyone in danger."

"Stay at my house. You won't be in danger there, I promise. "

"Neither of us can do magic, Potter. We'd be completely defenseless."

"I don't want you to leave."

"Then we'll need back up."

"Are you planning something?"

"Could be. I'm sick of running from those bastards. This is the last time. I want them taken out."

"I can help you."

"Yeah?"

"Would someone please clue me in here!" Berkley finally got sick of watching Harry and Draco whisper furiously back and forth. 

The both looked at him and snapped "No!" 

He pouted some more, but he soon learned that pouting wasn't going to get him anywhere, so he started setting up shop. 

"I'm working on a plan. Do you have any of your old connections intact from your days in the Order?"

"Yeah. Most of them."

"Okay. You set up a date and time. I'll give you the details when everyone shows up."

"Okay. Shop is gonna open in a few minutes. Are you staying with me again?"

"If I can." 

Draco felt rather like he was in a rugby scrum, only with just two people, and far less violent. But with here heads bent towards each other and their quick sentances he could help but make the comparison. When they stopped whispering and went to their places in the shop he felt that it was somehow anti-climactic. 

The day was busier than the last. People came to the shop in droves and everyone was in a constant state of movement. It was spring in London and that ment rain, so people came to their shop looking for shelter and something warm to hold in their numb hands. Draco was glad to see some famililar faces. People who came yesterday were coming back for more, and that could only mean good things for the business. 

Draco found that going through the motions of making coffee took his mind off draker things, and he found it oddly soothing. Growing up, Draco had never done anything independently, it was his father for money, the house elves for food, but never himsef for anything. In the the years after Hogwarts he found there was no one to depend on, so he had to do everything alone. This was only slightly damaging to his psyche. He was paraniod, but he had a natural instinct when it came to who was trustworthy, so his time spent avioding death never drove him insane. 

Things were difficult for Harry, too. That much was obvious. When he had time to think Draco often wondered about where all of Harry's friends had gone off too. Draco had never fully grown out of childish envy of Harry and when times were dark and cold he'd often entertain himself with ideas of what Perfect Harry Potter's future life would be like. They always included half-naked blonde girls and private islands with colorful drinks and colorful birds. Never once had he imagined Harry as a bachelor in sweat pants, his windows facing out to the slate gray skies of London. It just didn't seem right.

But then, he never pictured his own life to be anything like it was now. 

And with that thought, Draco felt something blossoming in his chest that he had never expcted to feel. Was it regret? 

When the last of the costomers had trickled out of the shop Harry and Draco said good-bye to Berkley and made there way to the underground in the rain, huddled close together and silent in their exaustion.

They reached Harry's apartment at about ten o'clock, stumbling and leaning on each other for support. The fell on thecouch in tandom, with Draco's head on Harry's chest and Harry's arms wrapped around Draco's shoulders, both pairs of feet hanging off the side. 

"Damn I'm tired."

"Mmm…"

Draco had a two thoughts before he fell asleep, the first being that he would have to owl a hell of a lot of people tomorrow if he wanted to re-assemble the Order of the Phoenix. The second thought was, that for the first times in months, no _years_, dispite everything that had happened, he was happy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took until Saturday for the kink in his neck to go away. Everytime Draco sleeps on a couch he swears it would be the last time, but it never is. It also took until Saturday for him to get any repiles back from all the owls he and Harry sent. 

A few had decline, a few were dead, but most of them would all be here in Harry's apartment. 

Tomorrow. 

It was the calm before the storm. Just one of those days where they only think anyone wanted to do was lay on the carpet and ponder the meaning of life, or maybe just ponder the ceiling you were staring at.

"Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"You know more about me than any other person that I've ever met."

"And?'

"And I think it's time that you did me the same favor."

"Just what is it you're asking?"

"Why don't you use magic?"

"It's a long story."

"Yeah well, you and me are just full of those. So tell me."

"You remember the final, battle, right?"

"Every night in my dreams. Or nightmares."

"Well okay. That was when it happened. Remember how Hermione came up with the idea of water changing the effect of the killing curse?"

Draco nodded.

"And how the final battle took under the Lake. The set me up as bait, lured all the Death Eaters under Water, so the Dementors couldn't follow and then were trapped, because only our modified wands could work?"

"Yes, Potter, I was right there. Would you get on with it already?"

"Well, see, that's when it happened. It was just me and Voldemort, or at least, that's what I thought. I didn't count on the goddam Giant Squid taking my goddam wand."

"You're fucking kidding me."

"No."

"You're lying, you've got to be."

"No."

"So lemme re-cap. You're under one hundred and fifty kilos of water, without a wand, and the world's most powerful Dark Wizard is right in front of your face?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so go on."

"Well, I knew a little bit about wandless magic from some book Hermione force-fed me and Ron. So I thought Icould try it. Only, I didn't factor in my proximity to the bottom of the lack. Normally, I'd take power from myself, and send the killing curse to Voldemort, basically pulling his life force out and letting it dispense into the surrounding area. But see, I was really close to the center of Hogwart's power, ya know, all the stuff that keeps it together. Everyone who has ever cast a spell in that school, everyone who's graduated, they left a little of their power behind. All the healing spells and the concealing spells all of that, I pulled it through. Instead of pulling the magic from me, I pulled the magic from Hogwarts."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, you're telling me. All of that power killed Voldemort, but it didn't stop there. It ran through me and fused into my veins. Something went very very wrong, and now, if I cast even the tiniest summoning spell, Hogwarts will cease to be."

"That doesn't make sense. How does that work?"

"I don't know. Hermione is doing some research, but she's busy, she doesn't have enough time to take care of her crippled friend."

"So you do keep in touch with her? What about Weasley?"

"Yeah. I keep in touch with both of them."

"Are they married?"

Harry snorted. 

"Jesus Draco. I'd have never taken you for a romantic. You're not the only one that's changed since Hogwarts, you know."

"So I'll take that as a no?"

"Ron is just about as gay as they come."

"Oooh. You and him ever hook up?"

"Like I'd tell you!"

"Well okay then."

"Are you nervous about tomorrow, Draco?"

"Terrified. Terrified they won't want to help."

"If they don't, I'll help you."

"Hmm yes. A team of cripples versus the Death Eaters. Sounds like a very Gryffindor plan."

"Well, I am Harry Potter after all."

Draco wondered if it was weird that he felt comforted by this

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

NOTES: Aw boy! I updated. Sorry this is so short, but I did answer some questions. Leave some feed back, kiddies. Oh, and read my other short stories that I'm quite proud of. Just check out my profile thingy. Thank you to all my great reviewers for putting up with the fact that I rarely update. But I do love you guys! Thank you so much for reading my stories. I'd say that there are only 3 or 4 chapters left. Next chapter, I've get to bring in every body's old favorites. And possibley Ron's boyfriend…


	7. Pet Names

Chapter 7

"Malfoy, my darling boy, is now really the right time?"

"Harry, my dearest little uhm… frosted cupcake, it's always the right time for sex."

"Draco, my beautiful cutie-puddle muffin who is really very bad at giving pet names, get your hands off my arse, we're expecting guests!"

"_I'm _bad at pet names? What the fuck is a puddle muffin?' Draco snapped, dropping his hands from Harry's backside and resting them on his own hips. He then added as an after thought "Sweetheart, happy pie."

"What the fuck is a happy pie?" Harry asked.

"Let me show you." Draco replied, and moved in close.

Draco's hands on his shoulders, moving slowly downwards, soft lips pressed against a jaw line flecked with five o'clock shadow, the rustle of shirts sliding off of shoulders and oh wow, who knew his nipples were _that _sensitive? and ooooh yes right there…

__

BUZZZZZZZZZZ

"Son of a shit!" Draco swore, as Harry pulled his shirt back on and went to answer the door.

"Hallo, Severus! I'm so glad you showed---" Harry began, but was cut off by Draco who, upon hearing Harry's greeting from the living room, sprinted into the front hallway and tackled the man still standing in the door frame, roughly pushing Harry against the wall as he did so.

"Ouch!" Harry said, as he rubbed the back of his head which had made contact with the wall.

"Ouch!" Snape yelped as got an armful of an excited twenty-something.

"You came! You came!" Draco shouted happily.

"Of course I did, you foolish boy. I'm shocked you didn't ask for help sooner." said Snape stiffly, attempting to back away from Draco.

"I guess I uh…needed to be convinced I'm worth the risk." Draco said slyly, as he pulled Snape into the flat.

"I'm sure." Snape replied, looking Draco and Harry up and down, noticing their rumpled appearances and how they moved in sync with each other as they brought him tea and made sure he was comfortable.

It took all of about 10 minutes of them completing each other's sentences as they explained the situation to him for Snape to realized what was going on between them.

"Saints preserve us, you two are lovers, aren't you?" Snape interrupted Harry just as he was getting to the part where he found out that Draco was his business partner.

"Damn you're good." Draco said.

"Please don't hurt me!" Harry said at the same time.

Draco gave Harry a sharp look.

"What?" Harry said.

"Despite what you may think, Potter, I don't care who Draco fucks, so long as he's happy. And he seems to be, so I'll keep my two cents to myself." Snape said.

"For once." Draco added in a mock whisper.

Snape opened his mouth to protest, but just them, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it." Harry said, leaving Draco and Snape alone to catch up. Harry knew that Snape had always been more of a father to Draco than Lucius ever was. Harry didn't know much about Draco's childhood except that it was as bad, if not worse, than his own was.

"Ron! And uhm…Fell, was it? Come in." They heard Harry's voice from the hallway, shortly followed by Harry himself, with Ron Weasley and a man in his twenties, skin the color of dark chocolate who's shoulder length dread-locks were pulled back from his face, highlight full lips and big brown eyes.

When Ron saw Draco and Snape sitting on Harry's couch, he simply raised a single ginger eyebrow at Harry and sat down on the adjacent loveseat.

"Weasley." Draco rose and said by way of greeting. He then turned to Ron's companion.

"Draco Malfoy." He said and held his hand out.

"John Fell. Most people just call me Fell." The man said.

Draco flashed him a smile and said, "Pleasure to meet you."

Harry realized a second too late that Draco was flirting. As he was returning with tea for the new arrivals, he gave Draco a nudge and a knowing look. Draco smirked back; his eye's briefly leaving Fell's face to lock with Harry's.

"So, Fell, where are you from?" Draco asked, taking his seat beside Harry as Fell went to sit next to Ron.

Just as Fell was opening his mouth to reply, the doorbell rang again. Waiting outside were Remus and Hermione.

When everyone said their greetings and settled down in their seats again, with tea and coffee in their hands (from Happenstance, no doubt) Harry got down to business.

He explained the situation carefully, and with Draco's random input, they manage to get through without leaving anything out.

"That's why we're attempting to re-assemble the Order. We're obviously not doing our jobs right if Death Eaters are brave enough to openly attack someone. And we can't risk Voldemort coming back. We owe Draco our lives and we can't have him being taken now." Harry finished.

"But, what about your magic, Harry?" Remus asked.

"When Voldemort was killed, the Death Eaters who weren't sent to Azkaban bought Malfoy Manor from the Ministry after they took it from my family. The Manor has a library with a book on Hogwart's system of magic. It's Harry's only hope for getting his magic back. We'd be killing two birds with one stone."

Draco said.

"What do you want us to do?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, I know that you're better at research than anyone else in the world. We need you to find the blue prints for Malfoy Manor. They should be in the archives at the Ministry. And the book is written in Middle English, and you're the only person I know who speaks that. Remus, and Snape, we need members of the Hogwarts staff in order to separate Harry from Hogwarts. And no one is better at covert operations than Snape. Except maybe Draco. Ron and Fell, you're the most successful team of Aurors the Ministry's had since my parents. If anyone can bring down Death Eaters, it's you guys."

Harry had been looking at people as he addressed him or her, steeling them with a determined look. All of them seemed willing to help.

"I'd just like to say that you. It's against my nature to ask for help, but I really appreciate it." Draco said.

"Your welcome." Everyone murmured.

"We'll meet back here, in a fortnight." Harry said, as everyone got up to leave.

Draco and Harry said their good-byes and invited everyone to visit the coffee shop some time.

After everyone had left, they lay on the couch; Draco's legs entangled with Harry's, both of them content to just do nothing for the rest of the day.

Harry was squirming slightly as Draco gently sucked his collarbone.

"I think I might actually like you." Harry said playfully.

And then there was an explosion and the world went black.

A/N What? _What_? Hey what are you guys doing with those weapons? No! Don't hate me! Okay, so yeah, I haven't update in six months. And yeah, I just left you with the worst cliffhanger. And yeah, this chapter was incredibly short. But uh…uhm…I love you? Ahhh…don't hurt me! I do have an explaination. I won't get into it, but things in the Real World (yes, life outside of fanfiction) have really sucked, but I'm out of school now, and I've got a whole summer to write. So just read and review! Thanks to Sonny and Laura and Natasha.


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